Case studies

Compact living in the crib

Elfin Kitchens has supplied 16 bespoke project kitchens to new student accommodation in North Kensington, London. The property, now known as Station Studios, was in a poor condition before being refurbished into a selection of one-bedroom studio apartments – offering tenants modern and stylish compact living with a reclaimed industrial theme.

The kitchen unit specification from developers Student Cribs was a non-standard length of 1800mm, so Elfin’s in-house design team matched the requirements and advised on the best approach to maximise convenience for tenants. The brief also required full cooking facilities without compromising on space, so each compact steel kitchen included an A+ Liebherr fridge, ceramic hob, 30L combination microwave, integrated dishwasher, sink and tap, extractor fan and soft close doors and drawers. To provide a clean and stylish finish, the kitchens were supplied in powder coated Matt Black.

In addition to the kitchen units, Elfin also supplied wall cupboards to provide extra dry storage in each of the studios. The durable powder coated steel cupboards were also finished in Matt Black and featured matching brushed stainless steel bar handles. For convenience and speed of installation, the wall cupboards were delivered pre-built with an internal adjustable shelf.

Tom Ferber, Development Director at Student Cribs, specified the kitchens. Commenting on the project and Elfin he said: “This type of property with 16 compact studios was a new venture for Student Cribs, so it required a slightly different approach. Prior to Station Studios, we had used conventional kitchen units for our properties, but with less floor space available, we needed a kitchen that could offer a full range of functionality in a small footprint.

“Elfin Kitchens was a great find and, after having the opportunity to look closely at the product’s quality and functionality, we were really impressed with how well we could utilise the space – fitting several appliances, including a dishwasher, into the scheme. Of course, we also needed to ensure the kitchens were hard-wearing; fortunately Elfin’s products are built to last, plus there is great access to parts and spares should we need them in the future.”

Neill Andrew, Director at Elfin Kitchens, added: “We’re regularly seeing this type of building refurbished into HMOs and the student market, in particular, is developing rapidly. Of course, space is always at a premium, so our compact kitchens lend themselves brilliantly. Also, thanks to our bespoke service offering for larger projects, specifiers can achieve a high-end finish that matches the interior design scheme, while also providing superb durability.”